Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-22
A WARM DISCUSSION.
THE SENATE STRUGGLES WITH THE HOLI-
DAY ADJOURNMENT QUESTION.
Plumb Wants 70 Work-Cousumed by an Ardent De-
sire To Lsgislata-AHd BE Can't Brooke
DeIay-A Gentle Scoring from
Senator Beck


WASHINGTON. D. c., December 21.-In
the Senate Mr.. SpOonsr offered resolu-
tIon. which was adopted, ipstructipg the
Committee on Privileges and Elections 10
inquire into the expedienCy OF the adcp-
tion by the Senate for the guidance of the
executives of the several States of form
OF credentials of the election Of U. s SEN
atOrs. The resolution recently offered by
Mr.. Beck, to direct the Postoffice Commit
tee to iGquire into the adyisability Of re-
duCiDg the rate of letter postage to one
cent was referred to that committee.
Mr.. Allison called up the holiday recess
resolution and moved its adoption.
Mr. Plumb said he would vote against
the resolution because he thought that the
proposed recess was against the public in
terest. Congress would be in session till
the dog days and during the latter part OF
the session the country would be in the
midst of a heated Presidential campaign.
There was no reason why members of Con-
gress should go home for the holidays IU
fact, that was mere pretence. Not one
member in dozen, at least of those living
west Of the Ohio river, would 20 homo
during the holidays.
ABOUT THE SURPLUS.
He referred 10 Mr.. Pugh's resolution
that Congress Should not adjourn until &C.
tiOu was taken for disposal Of the surplus
in the Treasury, and said he did not agree
with the President in many of his state.
mcnts IN the late annual message, and he
did rot AZ all agree with MIN in saying
that the responsibility of nOn-aCtion in the
matter OF the surplus would rest on Con.
grcss. For his OWL part he would be glad
To remain in Washington during the holt
Ga-S aud lsgSatc on the subject Of the
surplus, Int not with any sense Of that re.
Sp0n.Ihhty ot Congress which the Presi-
dcut had set forth. The primary respOn-
sibili,y tor the present condition OF the
Treasury he thought was with the
President OF tie United States
VINO totally di.rygarded the law
which required him practically to spend
the surplus in the purchase OF the national
dcnt. The Presidents excuse for not DO
ing 80 was that the provision, OF law was
found in an appropriation bill, and was
tEctelore in the President 5 opinion merely
a temporary exPedieut.
THE PRESIDENTS VETO.
The President in his message had omit
ted 10 state one important fact. which was
that the last Congress past law requiring
him afirmatively to pay ten millions a
month in the discharge of the public debt,
and that the President had put that bill in
h.s po"Ast, thus preventing its becoming a
Isn.
Mr.. ns.rk remarked that the President
had paid the money out even faster than
thc bin required.
Nr Plumb regarded that a. only another
way the President had tor saying that he
could do better himself than Congress
knew how to tell him. The Senator from
Missouri, Vest, had made the welkin rirg
81 over his State in denunciatiOn of the
National Banks as the vampires that were
sucking the substance OF the people. He
wondered whether the Senator did not
smile 20 himself behind the door perhaps, |
whe he saw Democratic President bring |
with him into his administration, as SeCre
tury of the Treasury, president of Ma
tiOual Bank and appoint as Treasurer OF
the United States the cashier of another
National hank. Tie President had
FORGOTTEN TO TAKE NOTE
of the fact that the river and harbOr bill, |
which appropriated some Sl4, COO, 900, had
failed, MT because of any lack OF action
by Congress. ! deficiency bill, covering
over s. ODO, 900, had also failed last session
because Of the neglect of the Democratic
majority in the House of Representatives,
and these two sums would have made a
very comfortable addition to the current
funds of the people Of the United States ut
this iuncture. He Plumb never did
agree with the Republican policy OF the
Treasury Department, but that policy at
least was constant and was not unuer
suspiriOa Of being unduly influenced by
the New York DanEs.
Ii was within the competency Of Con-
gress to say that the surplus revenues OF
the government should be applied to the
extinction Of the national debt until every
dollar of it was extinguished-tEe views OF
the President to the contrary notwith-
aR. BEcK's REPLY.
Mr.. Beck said he did not propose to go
into debate in regard to the President ;
policy on resolution for holiday ad-
iournmeut lie assumed that the reSolu-
-. 4 q
usual and lie did not know any exception
to ii. lie could not understand why the
Senate should now, on motion like that,
90 into = discussion as to the President 8
policy wnen they you'd have all
next year for it, but there were
some things which the country ough'
to know in connection with the statement
made by the Senator from Kansas. The
Senator Esd rot told the country that the
policy Of the Republican party, by impos-
ing and maintaining unnecessarily high
taxation, had produced the treasury sur
plus. and that that same party was deter
mined 20 EOlG it there, or to waste II IN
such schemes as the Republican party
uright de.ire The Senator mad not told
couuts- that the Republican party had SO
adjusted the debts OF the United States,
that they could not u paid with the
mouey thus brought by high taxation into
the treasury unless such premiums were
paid 70 the bcndholders rs they might de
maui.
The policy vi the Republican party had
postponed the payment OF $3.50, 0oo, 600 OF
the debt till l~Sl. and of $40, ,0OO,OOO till
1907. The President
HAD PAID EvERN DOLLAR
of the 3 per cent. bonds that were payable
without paying the premium which bond |
holders might see hit to ask. The Demo
cratic party headed by the President was
to reduce taxes so that so
large surplus should not come into the
Treasury. All that the President had SAID |
was. that it was not proper thing for him
or the Secretary of the Treasury to do, 10 |
paw Sl3O or $3.50, for every 500 OF the |
puphc debt, and that it was the duty OF
Congress to reduce the taxation OF the |
people down to point that would not be
a sacp!us. He thought that the course OF